Alarmed
by know1knows
Summary: Preseries. Wee-chesters! A blaring fire alarm. A frantic Dean. And where in the world is Sammy?


_Just a little story to try to get myself back in the mood to write. I've been slacking off lately even though I have a ton of ideas for stories running through my head. I'm hoping this will inspire me a little to write some of them. _

_Hope you like it and t__hanks for reading._

_As usual, all the standard disclaimers apply. They're not mine. Not making any money. And anything else I forgot to mention. Just having a bit of fun._

* * *

**Alarmed**

Dean fidgeted impatiently as he shuffled down the hallway in the midst of his classmates. The line was moving much too slowly for his liking and he could barely contain his pent-up frustration. It was taking them way too long to get outside. And the incessant blare of the fire alarm that echoed through the corridor was just adding to his exasperation. The constant 'beep, beep, beep" of the alarm just seemed to be mocking him; reminding him how long it was taking for them to get outside. And keeping him from checking on Sammy.

Their assigned route out of the school didn't take them past the kindergarten class. So Dean had no idea if Sammy's class had already made it outside. Or even if they were going to make it out safely. He wouldn't have any way of knowing until he actually made it outside himself and had a chance to look at all the kids that would be standing around in the schoolyard.

Until then he'd just have to be patient.

But it was much harder than it looked. And it was getting harder with every moment that passed. The rest of his class was talking and laughing and goofing around while they jostled their way down the crowded hall. None of them seemed to care if they ever made it outside. They simply didn't know how important it was. They just wanted a break from their schoolwork. And Dean could understand why.

Because sitting through Social Studies class was enough to bore you to death.

Except this was worse. A fire could actually kill you. Dean knew that. He knew how deadly fires really were. He knew that you had to get outside as quickly as possible. Away from the flames, the smoke, the heat and even the building itself. He knew that it was possible for the windows to explode. And when that happened the flying, fractured glass could be just as deadly as the fire itself. Dean knew that they had to get far enough away from the building to really be safe.

And that's why he had to find Sammy. Because Sammy didn't know these things. Sammy didn't know how dangerous fires were. He was just like the rest of the kids in the school. He'd be laughing and joking and having a great time, not understanding the danger. Not realizing how serious this situation really was.

Besides, it had always been Dean's job to protect him. Only he couldn't do that unless he could find him. And he couldn't find his brother if he couldn't get out of the school. And he couldn't get out of the school until everyone started moving faster. It was taking them far too long. But just as Dean thought he was going to go out of his mind, he finally saw the huge double doors leading outside up ahead. Dean could feel his heart pounding in his chest. They were so close yet he was still so far away. And it was taking forever to get there. And just as his teacher, Mrs. Stevenson, reached the door and held it open for the class to go through, Dean couldn't contain himself any longer. He nudged the boy in front of him out of the way and bolted past the remainder of his classmates. He darted out the door ahead of all of them. And he ran full speed ahead until he was standing in the middle of the schoolyard, where he could see everyone who was already out there.

"Dean Winchester! You come back here right now!"

His teacher's angry and desperate words barely registered with the frantic nine-year-old. They simply weren't important enough for him to pay attention. Not compared to the urgency of finding his brother. But as Dean scanned the schoolyard, there was no sign of Sammy. He couldn't see hide nor hair of his brother. He wasn't anywhere in the schoolyard. Nor was anyone else in his class for that matter. Not even his teacher.

Which meant that they had to still be inside.

Dean took off back toward the school, running full tilt and oblivious to everything else around him; his thoughts focused entirely on finding Sammy. Everything else be damned. He had to get back inside and save his brother. Dean darted around everyone that got in his way. He veered around his teacher as she raced toward him and tried to grab him and he dodged another teacher who attempted to intercept him. Dean easilymaneuvered his way around a multitude of kids and adults who had moved in to block his progress. In fact, he had almost made it to the school when he was suddenly lifted up from behind.

"Lemme go!" Dean screamed hysterically as he struggled violently against his unseen captor, kicking his legs and swinging his arms wildly. "Lemme go!"

"Settle down, Dean," came the decisive reply from directly behind him. Dean instantly recognized the voice of the vice-principal who continued undaunted, "I'll let you down as soon as you calm down."

"But I hafta get back inside the school!"

"I'm sorry Dean, but I can't let you go back inside."

"But you don't understand! I have to get back inside! I have to save Sammy!" Dean retorted distressfully as he squirmed in the vice-principal's arms.

But Mr. Lackey held him firmly. He moved back from the building and slowly turned around. Then he pointed to the distance. "Sammy's fine, Dean. Look. Andrew brought him out. See?"

Dean immediately stopped fidgeting and looked in the direction Mr. Lackey was pointing. And the only thing he saw was a kid in his class carrying a large cage. The cage that usually sat in the back of their classroom. The cage that housed the class guinea pig. For a moment Dean's mind went blank. He blinked while he tried to reconcile what he saw with what the vice-principal had said about Sammy.

Then it dawned on him.

Mr. Lackey thought he was talking about the guinea pig. Dean had known all along that it was a bad idea to name that stupid guinea pig Sammy. Of course the rest of the class hadn't agreed with him.

But it wasn't the right Sammy and Dean increased his efforts to break free of the vice-principal's hold. This time he was successful. Because Mr. Lackey had loosened his grip when he thought he had figured out what Dean's problem was and he had only been holding him with one arm. Dean slipped quickly to the ground and moved out of the vice-principal's reach. His eyes darted back and forth between the students and teachers who were scattered throughout the schoolyard and the encroaching form of the vice-principal who was once again trying to catch him. But Dean was more vigilant of the vice-principal's movements this time and he managed to stay far enough away from him as he continued to scan the crowded yard for his brother.

"Where's Mrs. Neil's class?" Dean asked frantically. "I don't see them. They're not in the schoolyard. Where are they?"

"Dean, just calm down now," replied Mr. Lackey soothingly as he slowly edged closer, "Just stay where you are and I promise we can talk. Okay?"

"No!" shrieked Dean, jumping further away from him. "Where's Mrs. Neil's class? I gotta find Sammy!" Dean was almost in tears now. He looked up at the vice-principal in desperation and asked weakly. "Where's my brother?"

Mr. Lackey finally understood. He stopped moving and stood up straight, looking compassionately at the distraught youngster in front of him. "The kindergarten class exits through the main doors. You'll find them at the front of the school."

It took a very brief moment for the vice-principal's words to sink in. And as soon as they did, Dean took off running. A couple of teachers tried to stop him but Mr. Lackey voice rang out clearly through the schoolyard.

"Just let him go."

Dean dashed unimpeded around the side of the building. He didn't slow down until he saw the horde of five-year-olds gathered on front lawn of the school. Even then, he only slowed down enough so that he wouldn't crash into them as he searched for his brother. But before he'd spotted him, he heard his brother's voice coming from within the mass of students.

"Dean?" Sam emerged from the group and looked questioningly at his older brother.

Dean ran up to his younger brother and embraced him without uttering a word. Then he pulled back, still holding five-year-old Sam by the shoulders and staring at him.

"What are you doing out here, Dean? Why aren't you with the rest of your class?"

"I was worried about you, Sammy. I couldn't find you. I had to make sure you were okay. I had to know that you made it out safely."

Sam looked quizzically at his older brother for a moment before he responded. "Of course I'm okay, Silly. I don't know what you're so worried about. It's only a fire drill."

_fin._


End file.
